Heat sink and method for manufacturing the same

ABSTRACT

A method for manufacturing a heat sink includes steps of: preparing a metallic belt; providing a spraying device for spraying a metallic coating layer on one surface of the metallic belt; providing a stamping device for blanking the metallic belt to form a heat-dissipating fin; and stacking a plurality of heat-dissipating fins to form the heat sink. In this way, the heat-dissipating area and efficiency of the heat sink can be increased. The stability and soldering ability of different materials can be improved. The present invention further provides a heat sink.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a heat sink, and in particular to aheat sink and a method for manufacturing the same.

2. Description of Prior Art

With the increase of the operating speed of a processor (such as: CPU)in a computer, the amount of heat generated by the processor alsoincreases accordingly. On the other hand, since an electronic producthaving such a processor is required to be made more compact, the heatsink associated with the processor has to be designed to meet therequirements for miniaturization, which becomes an important issue forthe manufacturers in this art.

The conventional heat sink is constituted of a plurality ofheat-dissipating fins. These heat-dissipating fins are mostly made ofcopper or aluminum. Although the copper-made heat-dissipating fins havethe better heat-dissipating efficiency, however, the total weight andcost of such copper-made heat-dissipating fins are large. Although thealuminum-made heat-dissipating fins have a smaller weight and cost, theheat-dissipating efficiency is inferior to that of the copper-madeheat-dissipating fins. Further, when the aluminum-made heat-dissipatingfins are combined with different materials, a nickel-plating process hasto be performed to facilitate the combination of the aluminum-madeheat-dissipating fins with the copper-made heat-conducting plate or heatpipes.

In view of the above, the present inventor proposes a novel heat sinkbased on his expert experience and delicate researches.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to provide a heat sink and a method formanufacturing the same, whereby the heat-dissipating area and thus theheat-dissipating efficiency of the heat sink can be increased greatly,and the stability and soldering ability of different materials can beimproved.

The present invention further provides a heat sink including a pluralityof heat-dissipating fins. One surface of each of the heat-dissipatingfins is formed with a metallic coating layer by spraying. At least oneend of any one of the heat-dissipating fins is bent to have a fold. Anytwo adjacent heat-dissipating fins are connected to each other bystacking the respective folds.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a heat sink,which including steps of: a) preparing a metallic belt; b) providing aspraying device for spraying a metallic coating layer on one surface ofthe metallic belt; c) providing a stamping device for blanking themetallic belt to form a heat-dissipating fin; and d) stacking aplurality of heat-dissipating fins to form the heat sink.

The present invention has advantageous features as follows. The surfaceof aluminum-made heat-dissipating fins are directly sprayed with acopper layer, so that the heat-dissipating fins need not be subjected toa nickel-plating process, which conforms to the requirements forenvironmental protection and reduces the material cost and manufacturingtime.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing the steps of the method for manufacturinga heat sink according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a metallic belt of the presentinvention is sprayed by a spraying device;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of aheat-dissipating fin of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a heat-dissipating finassembly and a heat-conducting plate of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an assembled view showing the heat-dissipating fin assemblyand the heat-conducting plate of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an assembled cross-sectional view showing the heat-dissipatingfin assembly and the heat-conducting plate of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view of the portion A in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is an assembled view showing another embodiment of the heat sinkaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description and technical contents of the present inventionwill be described in more detail with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings are illustrativeonly, but not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

Please refer to FIG. 4. The present invention provides a heat sink,which is formed by stacking a plurality of heat-dissipating fins 10.Each of the heat-dissipating fins 10 is made of a material having goodheat conductivity such as aluminum or the alloys thereof. One surface 11of any one heat-dissipating fin 10 is sprayed to form a metallic coatinglayer 20. The metallic coating layer 20 may be made of a material havinggood heat conductivity such as nickel, copper or the alloys thereof.Further, the metallic coating layer 20 forms a rugged configuration onthe surface 11 of the heat-dissipating fin 10. Further, the upper andlower ends of each heat-dissipating fin 10 are bent to form two folds12, 13 respectively that correspond to each other. The folds 12 and 13and an adjacent heat-dissipating fin 10 together form a partitioningchannel 14. The metallic coating layer 20 is formed on the outsidesurface of each heat-dissipating fin 10 after bending. Of course, theheat-dissipating fin 10 may have only one fold 12 or 13 (not shown).

Furthermore, the heat sink of the present invention includes aheat-conducting plate 30, which is made of a material having good heatconductivity such as copper or the alloys thereof. The metallic coatinglayer 20 formed outside the fold 12 is tightly adhered to the surface ofthe heat-conducting plate 30, and then connected to each other byheating.

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 7. The present invention provides a methodfor manufacturing a heat sink, which includes steps as follows:

In step a), a metallic belt 100 is prepared, which is made of a materialhaving good heat conductivity such as aluminum or the alloys thereof.

In step b), a spraying device 6 is provided for spraying a metalliccoating layer 20 on one surface of the metallic belt 100. This sprayingstep is performed by a Cu plasma injection on the whole or partialsurface of the metallic belt 100.

In step c), a stamping device is provided for blanking the metallic belt100 a subjected to the step b) to form a heat-dissipating fin 10. Theheat-dissipating fin 10 is formed into a U shape with its upper andlower ends being bent to form two folds 12 and 13 respectively thatcorrespond to each other. In this step, one of the folds 12 (or 13) canbe provided with a trough 15 (as shown in FIG. 8). The heat-dissipatingfin 10 can be formed into other geometrical shapes, but not limited tothe specific form shown in the drawings. For example, the upper fold 12may not be provided.

In step d), a plurality of heat-dissipating fins 10 are stacked to formthe heat sink. The two folds 12 and 13 of any two adjacentheat-dissipating fins 10 are stacked in such a manner that apartitioning channel 14 (as shown in FIG. 6) is formed between theadjacent heat-dissipating fins 10.

Further, the method of the present invention further includes a step e)after the step d). In the step e), a heat-conducting plate 30 isprovided, on which the heat-dissipating fins 10 are disposed.

Further, the method of the present invention further includes a step f)after the step e). In the step f), a heating device is provided forheating the heat-dissipating fins 10 and the heat-conducting plate 30,thereby connecting the heat-dissipating fins 10 and the heat-conductingplate 30 with the metallic coating layer 20. Specifically speaking, themetallic coating layer 20 is heated to be soldered to theheat-dissipating fins 10 and the heat-conducting plate 30.

Further, the method of the present invention further includes a step e′)to replace the step e). In the step e′), a heat pipe 40 is provided. Oneend of the heat pipe 40 penetrates the trough 15 (as shown in FIG. 8).

On the other hand, the method of the present invention further includesa step f′) after the step e′). In the step f′), a heating device isprovided for heating the heat-dissipating fins 10 and the heat pipe 40,thereby connecting the heat-dissipating fins 10 and the heat pipe 40with the metallic coating layer 20 (as shown in FIG. 8). Specificallyspeaking, the metallic coating layer 20 is heated to be soldered to theheat-dissipating fins 10 and the heat pipe 40.

Please refer to FIG. 8. The heat sink of the present invention furtherincludes a heat-conducting plate 30 and a heat pipe 40. The center ofthe lower fold 13 of each heat-dissipating fin 10 is provided with atrough 15. Further, the heat-conducting plate 30 is provided with agroove 31. Since the metallic coating layer 20 is sprayed on therespective heat-dissipating fins 10, after one end of the heat pipe 40penetrates the trough 15, the metallic coating layer 20 is heated to beconnected with the heat pipe 40. The other end of the heat pipe 40penetrates the groove 31 of the heat-conducting plate 30. In this way,the heat pipe 40 can be combined with the heat-conducting plate 30 toform another embodiment of the heat sink according to the presentinvention.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to theforegoing preferred embodiments, it will be understood that theinvention is not limited to the details thereof. Various equivalentvariations and modifications can still occur to those skilled in thisart in view of the teachings of the present invention. Thus, all suchvariations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within thescope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. A method for manufacturing a heat sink, including steps of: a)preparing a metallic belt; b) providing a spraying device for spraying ametallic coating layer on one surface of the metallic belt; c) providinga stamping device for blanking the metallic belt to form aheat-dissipating fin; and d) stacking a plurality of heat-dissipatingfins to form the heat sink.
 2. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe heat-dissipating fin in the step c) is formed into a U shape havingtwo folds corresponding to each other.
 3. The method according to claim2, further including a step e) of providing a heat-conducting plateafter the step d), the heat-dissipating fins being disposed on theheat-conducting plate.
 4. The method according to claim 3, furtherincluding a step f) of providing a heating device after the step e), theheating device heating the heat-dissipating fins and the heat-conductingplate, thereby connecting the heat-dissipating fins and theheat-conducting plate with the metallic coating layer.
 5. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the heat-dissipating fin in the step c) isformed into a U shape having two folds corresponding to each other, oneof the folds is formed with a trough.
 6. The method according to claim5, further including a step e′) of providing a heat pipe after the stepd), one end of the heat pipe penetrating the trough.
 7. The methodaccording to claim 6, further including a step f′) of providing aheating device after the step e′), the heating device heating theheat-dissipating fins and the heat pipe, thereby connecting theheat-dissipating fins and the heat pipe with the metallic coating layer.8. A heat sink, including a plurality of heat-dissipating fins, whereinone surface of each of the heat-dissipating fins is sprayed to form ametallic coating layer, at least one end of any one of theheat-dissipating fins is bent to have a fold, any two adjacentheat-dissipating fins are connected to each other by stacking therespective folds.
 9. The heat sink according to claim 8, wherein theheat-dissipating fin is made of aluminum.
 10. The heat sink according toclaim 8, wherein the metallic coating layer is made of copper or nickel.11. The heat sink according to claim 8, wherein the metallic coatinglayer is formed into a rugged configuration.
 12. The heat sink accordingto claim 11, further including a heat-conducting plate, the metalliccoating layer being heated to be connected to the heat-conducting plate.13. The heat sink according to claim 11, further including a heat pipe,the heat-dissipating fin being formed with a trough, one end of the heatpipe being received in the trough, the metallic coating layer beingheated to be connected to the heat pipe.
 14. The heat sink according toclaim 13, further including a heat-conducting plate in thermal contactwith the other end of the heat pipe.